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Drew, Reynolds homer as Diamondbacks sweep Rockies

Apr 6, 2008 - 11:59 PM By Brady Delander PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DENVER (Ticker) - The Arizona Diamondbacks may be young, but the early part of the season has shown that they possess the resiliency of a veteran team.

Stephen Drew's solo home run in the 10th helped the Diamondbacks post a 5-2 victory over the struggling Rockies on Sunday.

Mark Reynolds homered in the ninth, and Alex Romero got his first career hit and RBI for Arizona, which completed a three-game sweep of the Rockies.

Arizona trailed, 1-0, until Reynolds' homer off closer Manny Corpas in the ninth. After Matt Holliday homered off Diamondbacks' closer Brandon Lyon (1-0), Arizona responded with a three-run 10th frame.

"We've been resilient," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. "That was probably one of our strongest traits last season, so we will keep grinding away. We are used to finishing games a little easier when we are ahead. To nick their closer like that, take the lead, have it snatched back and then come back again right away again feels good."

Holliday hit a game-tying solo homer in the ninth, and Todd Helton drove in a run for Colorado. It looked like the Rockies were on their way to snapping a four-game skid until the late barrage of home runs.

Drew, who entered as a defensive replacement in the ninth, lifted a 1-0 pitch from Micah Bowie (0-1) over the right-center field wall for a 3-2 lead.

"I was really just looking for something over the plate," Drew said. "I wasn't trying to do too much - just get on base. I put a good swing on it and it worked out for the best. I knew I hit it high, but I thought I got enough on it, too."

The Diamondbacks kept the pressure on as Reynolds drove in Orlando Hudson to make it 4-2, and Romero scored Conor Jackson with an infield single that second baseman Jayson Nix could not corral.

Chad Qualls threw a scoreless 10th to record his first save of the season.

The Rockies, who have scored just 10 runs in six games, wasted a good performance from lefthander Franklin Morales. Morales put Colorado in good position by retiring the first 11 batters he faced and allowing just two hits in six innings.

"He would paint the inside and throw a couple of balls and then paint inside again," Reynolds said. "He had good stuff today but we were able to get to the bullpen."

Helton, who has hit safely in all six of Colorado's games this season, gave the Rockies a thin lead with an RBI single in the third.

Taylor Buchholz and Brian Fuentes held the Diamondbacks in check through the eighth inning, and the game looked secure when Corpas took the mound in the ninth.

However, Jackson singled off Corpas to lead off the bottom of the ninth, and Reynolds followed with a home run that silenced the crowd and knocked the wind out of the Rockies.

"It seemed to be down in the zone," Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said. "I don't know how much sink was on it. The guy's a lowball hitter and sometimes good pitches are hit. It's an unfortunate time of the game to have one hit out."

Colorado responded in the bottom of the ninth. After Todd Helton flied out deep to center, Holliday ended an early season slump in a big way with a solo home run off Lyon to tie the score 2-2.

It was Holliday's first home run of the season and only his fourth hit in 22 at-bats.

"It was obviously a tough loss," said shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who scored on Helton's single in the third. "To give it up, it hurts a little bit more, but we've got to come back out tomorrow and be ready to play. I hope this is the worst it gets."